I decided we need to take the kids out more. Like vacations and stuff. Kainoa is finally at a manageable age and breastfeeding him is SO easy now that he’s nearly three.
I came up with a brilliant idea. While vacations to Disneyland and Hawaii are expensive and ginormous undertakings…I decided exploring our own state could prepare the kids for longer vacations and show them all the cool things that surround us. You know…like mountains and forests and oceans and stuff. Spending one or two nights in a hotel just hours from our home doesn’t have to cost that much money.
When my brother stopped by on his way to our step-siblings cabin in the mountains I decided it was the perfect opportunity to start PEW off right. We hadn’t seen a stitch of snow all year so a night in the mountains was just what the kids needed. It wasn’t exactly a family vacation because we left Pat and Kainoa at home, but you have to start somewhere.
The girls were super excited. A cabin…in the mountains…with SNOW! They were pumped and ready. We slowly made our way up the mountain. We saw elk and the snow came and the kids talked excitedly about what they would do when we got there.
And then we got there.
One look at Maile’s face and I knew something wasn’t right. I think the hotel snob in her comes from my family…we’re not fans of bugs…or camping…or dead mice in our beds. And…
I can’t imagine…
What was making her uncomfortable…
but when I looked down at Maile…
She was no longer excited.
Less than five minutes in she was begging me to take her home. “What’s going on!?!” I asked her, “what could be the problem???”
“I don’t like wooden houses”, she said.
And then she broke into tears. And if Maile breaks into tears you can expect Laina’s will soon follow. And they did. I felt bad. Like maybe I didn’t prepare them for what exactly a “cabin in the woods” is, but I was determined to make this work. PEW could NOT be a bust on the first vacation in.
I took them outside for some night time fun,
and I promised that we could all sleep together,
and that when we woke up the sun would be shining,
and we could explore the forest.
And when it was time to say goodbye…
They didn’t want to go.
Project Explore Washington Mission Accomplished!!
{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m the first to read this, do I get a prize for that? I’m up late working. Thanks for the fun excuse to take a break. Oh wait, did I say fun? Because I meant gross. You may as well not posted any pictures at all because all I picture whilst reading this was you breastfeeding a man-child.
You work?
Hmph.
Ooh I’ve got a job for you…how about PAINTING THAT COLLAGE YOU PROMISED ME!!!
Sorry about the yelling.
PS Breast is Best Michelle. Remember that.
Success!!! Great job!!! You have now opened a great big door of travel possibilities for your family! Yay!
Mission Accomplished is right…well after a bumpy start but WTG for trying something new.
I think I fall into the hotel snob catagory like Maile and not so sure I would have been to excited about the cabin….at first! But after seeing all the fun you guys had I def. have changed my tune. LOL!
I’m just not the ‘camping’ type girl and hate bugs and such but exploring the woods etc., and everything you did look like lots of fun! I’m trying to be more open minded about other things. This year we may do something different for a vacation since flying is so expensive now and hubby doesn’t like to drive -so a trip to the SE coastline will not be in the budget this year…..BOOOOOOOO!
Thanks for sharing your fun and look forward to seeing more!
I’m a new follower!
Thanks for following Wendy!! I’m thinking our next stop will be in Portland…maybe it should be Project Explore the Pacific NW instead of Washington. ;)
Well looks like you made the most if it! We always took “Staycations” when we were little. Going to Ocean Shores was a favorite for my family. I can’t wait to read more about your adventures in WA.
sounds like fun and enjoying the snow before it melts is even better with kids in a cabin too. pretty pics.
Looks like you guys had a blast! We went to South Dakota, Black Hills two years ago and stayed in a cabin. It was sweet! But, we didn’t realize it was Sturgeous Week…so it wasn’t quite the quiet respit we’d hoped for!
Can you blame the girl? Camping is scary.
But I am glad that they had fun.
So fun! We went to a cabin for Thanksgiving and the decor was similar (think our most scary was an elk skull on the wall though.) The kids were freaked for awhile but were crying to move there when we left! Fun stuff! BTW you have the cutest kids!
The best part was there was a dead mouse on our bed when we got there. I thought the girls were going to cry, but since they have mice at home they wanted to “pet the little fella”…hahaha…SO relieved!
Mission accomplished! It looks fun, but waaayyy too cold for me!
I’ve become such a hotel snob, and now I use the kids as justification for it. Like we can only stay in nice hotels because our kids are going to be eating the carpet and licking the nightstands. I know I’m going to need to do something like this one day…
Ok, first off, SO mad I missed out on that trip. second. The cabin is not camping. Camping involves tents, sleeping on the ground, and digging your own toilet. preferably requiring either a boat, 4wd, or a ten mile hike to get to the campsite. and Third, the cabin, has magical powers on small children. I’ve never seen a kid go up there and not have the best time of their lives. Even if they’ve had their own oppinions on what is fun and what isn’t when they get there.
Great job getting out and enjoying the wonders that surround us in these beautiful state. The great thing is as the kids grow up the options just get bigger and bigger. In two or three years a boring trip to the cabin could involve their first ski/snowboard lesson. A trip to the ocean could be horse back riding, and stunt kites of their very own. Camping might actually involve a tent. though these days actually sleeping on the ground is optional.
what you need to do is get everyone down to rife one of these years.
We asked about you guys! I guess having a new baby is a good enough excuse to skip out on a weekend of camping. Errrr….I mean…cabining.
And if you think for one second I’m going to allow those precious children to go flying down a mountain while strapped to a plank than you’ve got another thing coming young man! But I get what you’re saying, there will be many adventures ahead and hopefully a stop at Rife!!
Good job – Kat! You opened the kids up to “roughing it,” and they actually liked it! What did Pat have to say about the successful trip?
Pat thanked me for an estrogen free weekend. ;)
When did you become a professional photographer?
Great pics. I’m glad they enjoyed the trip. We are planning on doing the same thing as far as little mini vacations go.
Next weekend we will go to nature reserve type place where wild animals come up to the car and you’re supposed to feed them. I’ll probably just crap myself and scream like a little girl instead. Stay tuned.
Haha! I can’t imagine what could’ve scared poor Maile. I mean, come on…who doesn’t decorate their home with dead animal heads and hooves. And my goodness, there are knives hanging all over everyone’s house right? Nothing wrong with leaving knives where kids can reach them. lol
These were great photos Kat! Thanks for taking us along with you on PEW. Don’t forget…tomorrow’s “OH NO HE DIDN’T!” TUESDAY. I hope you’ll still be able to play along. Have a great day!
Kristi, Live and Love…Out Loud
@TweetingMama
Great pictures! Glad they ended up loving it. And yeah… those feet on the wall.. one animal head above the mantel is one thing, but those feet?? EWWW!!!!!
I am so a hotel snob too. Your kids looked like they had a fab time.
Had a chuckle at the cabin decor.
Great pics…you really got some great scenery shots and your girls are super adorable even if they are unhappy lol.
Good on you for trying something new…who knows maybe your girls will turn out to love nature and the great outdoors – I know I’m happiest when I’m camping in a tent and have a big fire to sit around just outside the tent…complete with marshmallows and yes even the bugs don’t bother me a bit.
That cabin looks like it belongs in the middle of a Nora Roberts book. Maybe a mini-vacation with just the hubs is in order.
wow…this looks a million more times fun than disneyland or…anywhere else. I love a cabin in the snow.
for some reason that sentence sounds like it was written by a 2 year old and I don’t know how to fix it. hmph.
:)
that is great.
i love the way you tell stories with pictures.
and it helps when the pictures are of knives and all things scary to children. perfect!
(did you get there and think, oh goody! this is going to be awesome on the blog!)
What is with the deer feet? I don’t think I could sleep there. Although with the snow and cabin it is quite charming.
This may seem creepy, but if you look on the side of the first picture, I think that might be a yeti your daughter is staring at!
Oh so fun! Your wood cabin looks so charming, although I think I would take the decor in a slightly different direction… So glad you had a girls’ getaway weekend! Wow, seeing snow again makes me want to strap on my skis and head to a mountain that still has snow! I was ready for summer until I read this post. :-)
Oh my gooness your girls are so cute. Love the pics!
Sadie at heyMamas
You got them to stay with all the dead animal parts! You should get a prize for that. GORGEOUS pics! I’m so glad you got them through to the loving it part.
Great photos to go with the story – you perfectly captured the expressions (or perfectly captioned the photos).
Looks like such a great time! I felt the same way when I was forced to stay at a dear hunting cabin in Michigan when I lived there….creeped me out that I woke up to some Horus and Gunter looking like dear/elk/wild animal thingie above me!
I’m so with Maile on this one–total hotel snob. I’m also completely unapologetic about it. She’s my people.
And hello…these pictures are beautiful. Does Alecia know you’re capable of this?
The hooves and stuff would have freaked me out too but I liked the cabin and the snow looked pretty :)
what’s with the hooves in the cabin? no wonder the girls were freaking out. good thing the sun did shine and there was snow-covered ground. love their parkas :)
This looks like the bestest vacation EVER!